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| K9 unit to hound pirates |
PUTRAJAYA: From zero to hero – Paddy, an abused and malnourished two-year-old black Labrador rescued from an animal shelter, is now the Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Ministry’s newest member of the world’s first anti-piracy K9 unit. Together with Manny, a year-old Labrador, the unit is set to continue the legacy left behind by predecessors Lucky and Flo.
The ministry’s enforcement director-general Mohd Roslan Mahayudin said the two Labradors, from Ireland, would aid enforcement officers to uncover optical discs that are stashed in secret hiding places by pirates. Paddy and Manny, like Lucky and Flo, have been trained to sniff out polycarbonate and other chemicals present in optical discs. “After Lucky and Flo, the Government decided that we should have our own dogs. We thank the Motion Picture Association for donating these dogs to replace Lucky and Flo, which were loaned to us last year,” he said after the launch of the canine unit and a welcoming ceremony for Paddy and Manny. Roslan added that adequate measures would be taken to protect the dogs, which cost an estimated US$20,000 to purchase and train. “We are also planning to obtain another pair of dogs by the end of this year,” he said. Last year, Lucky and Flo’s success in sniffing out pirated optical discs hit the pirates so hard that they put out a RM50,000 bounty on the two dogs. Roslan said the dogs and canine enforcement unit, comprising an assistant director and six officers, are part of Malaysia’s initiative to be taken off the US Trade Representative Office 301 Watchlist. Countries on the list are just a step away from having the US impose trade sanctions on them. Asia-Pacific Motion Pictures Association senior vice-president and regional director Mike Ellis, who was also present at the function, said they were grateful to partner the Government in this venture. source: theStar |
